Resources — Operating · 7 min

Serviced Accommodation Setup Checklist

We operate two serviced units ourselves, so this is the list we actually used — the difference between an SA that reviews at 4.9 and one that quietly dies is almost all in the setup fortnight.

How to use this

Work through it in order between completion and your first booking. The legal and money items come first for a reason — confirm them before a penny goes on furniture.

Download the PDF Run the numbers →

Legal & money first

Mortgage or lease permits short lets — in writing, not assumed
Planning position checked (some cities restrict short stays; know before you spend)
Insurance: specialist SA policy including public liability, not standard landlord cover
Business rates vs council tax assessed — self-catering rules can work in your favour
Pricing built bottom-up: nightly rate × realistic occupancy beats rent × hope

The unit

Sleep quality is the product: hotel-grade mattresses, blackout curtains, quiet rooms
Superfast wifi tested from every room — remote workers are your midweek market
Smart lock or lockbox with rotating codes for self check-in
Kitchen equipped for real cooking, not decoration — guests notice one missing pan
Linen: three full sets per bed; white, boil-washable, replaced without debate
Photograph AFTER dressing the space, in daylight, wide and straight — photos are the whole shopfront

Operations

Cleaning team briefed to a written changeover checklist with photo confirmation
Channel manager syncing calendars across Airbnb, Booking.com and direct
Automated messaging: booking confirmation, check-in instructions, mid-stay check, checkout, review ask
Guest guide in the property: wifi, bins, quirks, local food, emergency contacts
Maintenance contact who answers on weekends — a boiler dies on a Saturday, always

First-month targets

Launch pricing 10–15% under market to buy the first ten reviews
Respond to every enquiry inside an hour — response time drives ranking
Review every guest promptly and ask for the same
Track per-stay economics from day one: fees, cleaning, consumables against the nightly rate